An Unexpected Birthday Present
by Brooky Kryshana
Summary: Edward takes Winry out for a date on her birthday. Her present? He pays for dinner and something completely unexpected to Winry anyways.


"How do I look, Al

"How do I look, Al?" Edward asked, adjusting his tie awkwardly for the fifth time.  
" If you quit messing with your tie, you would look gread. " Alphonse said with a laugh. Edward, who was now 21 years old, grinned.  
" Okay then! See you later Al, gotta go pick up Winry." He started heading out the door, but stopped, turned, and looked at his brother cautiously. " Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself?"  
" Ed, I'm 20 years old now, I'm not a kid anymore." Al said with a little smile. " I think I can handle a few hours alone."  
" No, your definitly not a kid anymore." He said with a chuckle. He started heading out the door again when his younger brother called him back. Edward barely caught the box thrown at him.  
" Can't forget her present, can you?" Alphonse said, grinning. The door shut, and he lay back on the bed the hotel gave him." So what am I going to do for the next three hours?" He mumbled to himself.

" Well, Elicia, how do I look?" Winry asked, spinning slowly so the nine-year old could see all the aspects of her dress.  
" You look great. " Elicia said, looking away from the window for a second or two. " Now hurry up and go, Ed won't wait forever!"

" Hello Mrs. Hughs." Edward said when the door opened. " How are you? Is Winry ready yet?"  
" I'm well, thank you." Gracia said, opening the door a little wider. " Elicia's helping her get ready. She should be down any minure. Would you like to come in for some tea?"  
" Can't. I have to be ready to leave at any minute because," here he rose his voice so maybe Winry could hear him. "If she takes any longer the table I reserved will be taken away and she wont get a special birthday dinner."  
" All right Ed, I'm coming. Be patient, if that's even possible." Winry called as she came down the stairs with Elicia trailing behind her.  
" Wow." Ed said after a moment, closing the mouth that was hanging open in amazement. " You look pretty for once." Pretty was, of course, and understatement. Who would have known that Winry looked good in evening gowns, or could stand them for more than a minute? It was a dark blue thing with hints of purple that brought out her eyes. There was a saphire on a light silver chain around her neck, and her blonde hair was done up in a bun which was pretty much the best Elicia, her self-proclaimed hair stylist could do. In Edward's eyes, the sloppy bun still looked amazing on her.  
" What are you talking about, she's always pretty." Elicia exclaimed. Her eyes narrowed a bit , she was obviously upset that she didn't have more time to play with Winry's hair.  
" Don't you have a table waiting for you?" Gracia asked.  
" Yup, let's go, Ed!" Winry said, pulling him along. " Bye Elicia, bye Gracia!"  
" Bye!" They chorused as the pair drove out of sight.

" Oh my gosh, Central is so awesome, Ed!" Winry cried, giving Edward a hug. " Thanks for bringing me here." She said, a bit softer now.  
" No problem, Mrs. Hughs paid for half the train fees anyways. She really wanted to see you again." He said, turning the steering wheel, trying to find the restaurant.  
"So," Winry began, leaning closer to Edward. " Where are we going?"  
" Amestrian house of pancakes."  
" No, really Ed."  
" Its' a suprise." He said, his brow furrowing a bit. Damn Colonel, did he give him the wrong directions? Noo... he couldn't have, Riza practically confirmed it, and she would know, that's where Roy proposed to her. And was traffic always this bad in Central? He couldn't remember, especially with Winry jabbering on and on in his ear." Winry, can you shut it for a second? This restaurant is harder to find than I thought." He said slowly, trying hard to keep the annoyance out of his voice.  
" Hmm... " She said, thinking for a moment. Suddenly she pointed at a building to the right. " Is it that one?" Ed peered over, and to his amazement, it was.  
" How did you know?" He asked, looking at her suspiciously after parking the car.  
" Just a guess." She said, exiting the vehicle. As they walked in to the restaurant, Edward noticed something.  
" Hey, look Winry, I'm taller than you now."  
" Amazing." She said sarcastically. " You have been for the past six months, Ed, only now you noticed?"  
" Umm..." He turned to the hostess to hide his embaressment. " Table for two, Elric?"  
Two minutes later they were seated at the table. There was silence, and it appeared as if they had run out of things to say. The server came around and asked what they would like to drink. Edward asked for water, but winry interrupted him, asking for a bottle of champage." After all, I am old enough to drink it now."  
" And you figured that as long as I'm paying for it, you might as well get some."  
" Yeah, that too." Winry smiled. The waiter came back a few minutes later with an opened bottle of champagne and a pair of glasses. He was soon sent back with their order.  
" Soo... where's my present?" Winry asked, leaning forward eagerly.  
" This is your present, Winry." Ed said, leaning back in to a more comfertable position.  
" What?" She exclaimed in mock horror and suprise. " I was expecting something a little more long-lasting, like a toolbox." Her eyes gleamed in excitement. " or a new wrench! Or, or a walnut handled screwdriver!" Winry glared at Edward, who was sipping champagne nonchalantly. " Are you even listening to me?"  
" Yup. I thought Granny Pinako got you a set of screwdrivers?"  
" She did, but we have to share them because Den stole some of hers and buried them by the river."  
" That's too bad." He said, taking another sip. " You can keep this all to yourself, I don't think she'll want it. " Ed dropped a small box on the table. Winry snatched it and looked at it inquisitivly.  
" Too small to be a screwdriver."  
" Yup."  
" It's not likely you'd get me a bunch of screws. "  
" Nope, not likely at all."  
" I wonder what it is."  
" Why don't you just open it and see!" Ed yelled, losing his patience.  
" Okay, okay. Just calm-" She opened the box, the last word never to leave her lips. In the box was a ring set with a small diamond. " Ed..." Winry looked at him oddley." What is this?"  
" A ring, of course." He sat up straighter and put his glass down. He looked her in the eyes. " When we were little, Al and I fought about who would marry you, remember?" Winry nodded. " You said you couldn't marry a man who is shorter than you." He smiled a bit. " Well I'm taller than you now Winry, will you marry me?"  
Silence. The restaurant was completely silent as far as they were concerned. Each second that ticked by seemed to last for hours. "Yes." Winry said softly. " Yes, Ed, of course I will!"  
" Good! Now, where's our food, I'm starving."

**_Aurthor's comments:_**

**_No screwdriver jokes please.  
For three hours, Al went out in to the city and found cats to bring back to the hotel room and play with.  
Everybody writes about when Ed and Winry are married, and yet I can't find one where they are engaged. That's where this came from. Also the restaurant I was eating at last week had a really nice view, and I wanted to write about that. Unfortunatly, in this piece I still couldn't talk about it because there is no ocean/sea/lake/ other large body of water in Amestris.  
Did anybody get the refrence to IHoP, or was I not clear enough?_**

**_I'm very new to this site, so if I screwed anything up, please let me know._**


End file.
